The Gulf’s female startup ecosystem is flourishing. So, where’s the funding? | Fortune0

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• September 16, 2026

Female-founded startups secured just $8.5 million with a total of two transactions.   It made for puzzling reading, given that the region’s startup ecosystem, particularly in the Gulf, is thriving, with more women choosing to launch their own businesses.  Abu Dhabi alone recorded 3,058 new business licenses issued to Emirati women in the first half of